Every software professional that has been part of more than one project knows for sure: no two projects are the same. Different circumstances make most software projects unique in several aspects. And with different situations come different approaches to handle project life effectively: there are mutliple ways to "do" a project. Different circumstances require different approaches. Although a project is to a large part defined by the required end results and technology used, the main determining factor of what makes a project different from another is people. The entire process of software project management is strongly stakeholder-driven. It's their wishes, fears, dreams-their stakes-that determine the course of the project. You have to handle a project to really grasp the impact of people on your endeavor. You have to "live" a project to know the force of political games and power trips. You have to lead a team to deliver a project under time pressures to appreciate the constructive power of motivated people or the destructive power of demotivated team members. Read my entire aricle at PMForum.org.

"How true. The human element is what makes each project different, and can cause the best project plan to fail.

Consider the situation of Hurricane Katrina. Even if FEMA had rehearsed and adjusted their plan a thousand times, I cannot imagine that anyone would have ever imagined, and added to the plan, a contingency in case the victims of the storm were to shoot bullets at the rescuers. In this case, an analysis of the stakeholders tells us that even in dire need of Food, Shelter and Clothing, people will react in ways that you never expect. You can never plan for every situation. The political games that followed were quite a scene, also.